Chapter 63: The Year (2)

It's the New Year, and the pharmacy is closed. The servants are on holiday in shifts, and a few small animals at home also have to enjoy the benefits of the New Year's Festival.

Xiao Ru put on a small white suit for Duoduo, put on a black horse clip, and wore a red high hat on top of her head.

Panda Xiaopan combed two pigtails, wore a big red flower, and wore a very festive red belly pocket, which was embroidered by Xiaoru with cross-stitch to make two cute pandas, not to mention anything else, Xiaopan likes it tightly, always lowers his head, blinks a pair of black round eyes, and looks at his clothes curiously.

As for the obedient, for this tiger, Xiao Ru didn't toss much, only hung a golden bell around its neck, but it's a pity. Obediently not very happy to wear it, as soon as he was not in front of Xiaoru, he rubbed the bell down by himself, it is estimated that when he hunted for food, it was not very convenient to have such a ringing thing.

In addition to the two small animals that were obedient, poked at the door as mascots, and Xiaoru took out the red paper, waved a big pen, and wrote a bunch of red letters, let Meng Nier and Xiaoyan take it, and Zhuangzi went up and down, and one was posted on each door.

She posted the 'Fu word' upside down, and her mother-in-law was used to seeing it, so she didn't feel anything, but as soon as Lou Yi entered the door, she shouted: "Xiaoru, 'Fu' is down, 'Fu' is down, 'Fu' is down......"

Xiaoru was shouted by him, and said with a smile: "That's right, the blessing has indeed arrived, and our family will be full of good luck in the coming year!" ”

Lou Yi and Ding Feng still have to be on errands even if the New Year Festival is approaching, and they are much busier than when they can pass by casually, but they can use things at home, and they don't need to worry about things like New Year's goods, and they have already prepared properly.

For two days in a row, Xiaoyan took a few maidens in the kitchen. According to Xiaoru's explanation, she made a lot of fresh food, Xiaoru occasionally had time, and she also followed the helper, Fu'er stopped her schoolwork early, took three pets to 'follow', came to her side, and helped from time to time.

There is no way, Fu'er is young, Xiaoru and her mother-in-law are used to spoiling her, and Xiaoyan and her sisters have no choice but to turn a blind eye to the fruits of their labor in the kitchen.

Xiaoru also took the time to draw very festive 'stars', 'moon', 'sun', 'leaves', Q version of 'kittens', 'puppies', 'magpies', 'pandas' and other small animals, and melons, fruits and vegetables and other patterns, so that the blacksmith of the Liu family gave a bunch of gold bills. The silver bills are all stuffed into the purse, and distributed to the mother-in-law and Lou Yi, and during the New Year, give a gift and reward a person, this thing is very decent.

The rest of the gold and silver scraps, Xiaoru didn't let it be wasted, those irregular gold and silver pieces, drill a hole and string them, and hang them under lanterns and other objects to make pendants, which is also very good-looking.

Chinese New Year's Eve

This year's Chinese New Year's Eve of the Lou family is the most lively in many years, before it gets dark, Xiaoru hangs the yard, under the eaves, and on the trees, with large and small lanterns, wrapped around many colorful rags and flowers, reflecting the light of the night and beaming.

Hand-handed over the gifts to relatives and friends, Xiaoru herself, and also got two hairpins of mutton fat and white jade sent by Lou Yi, the purse embroidered by her mother-in-law to send Zi Guanyin, the pen wash given by the old man Gongsun Zhi, the curtain embroidered with gold thread by Meng Nier and Xiaoyan with the four big characters of 'Hundred Years of Good Harmony', and the so-called 'portrait of the young lady' that Fu'er is crooked, looks like a cat from a distance, and looks like a mouse from a distance.

Old man Tang is a big family. Of course, he couldn't stay in Lou's house anymore for the New Year, but before leaving, he still gave Xiaoru a box of very delicate silver needles, and even Gao Ran, who ignored the world, gave gifts, however, he gave Lou Yi, Mrs. Lou, Xiao Ru, and a few guys in the hospital, and the maid girl at home gave the same gifts - all kinds of desserts and snacks rice cakes, it is said that these are sent by his female patients, Gao Ran has been eating for half a month, and he wants to vomit when he sees sweets.

Therefore, Lou Yi and they are kind enough to accept it, in case the doctor in the hospital celebrates the New Year, and then takes sick leave due to gastrointestinal reasons, Xiaoru's trouble is not small.

On Chinese New Year's Eve, the holy lord in the palace had to entertain a hundred officials, of course, those who were eligible to attend were all close ministers of the Son of Heaven, and the old man Gongsun Zhi counted one. However, the old man also knew that it was not interesting to celebrate the New Year in the palace, so he specially allowed Lou Yi and Ding Feng not to follow.

Therefore, after the old man left, it was Lou Yi who took the lead in taking over the banquet in the palace, this thing looks bright on the outside, but it is actually all cold, if you really swallow it, maybe this New Year, the family will have to drink a few days of bitter decoction, fortunately. The things are rewarded, and as for Lou Yi's gratitude to Dade next, whether to eat or offer, the father-in-law who passed the decree can't care.

However, the father-in-law actually specially summoned Xiao Ru to speak in the side hall, which made Mrs. Lou a little worried.

Lou Yi gave his mother-in-law a reassuring look, and then led his daughter-in-law into the side hall with his father-in-law, seeing that the prince who was even the emperor's followers smiled, took out a treasure box, and handed it to Xiaoru: "Madam, this is the reward of the concubine Niangniang, and the mother also specially instructed the little one to thank you for the mother." ”

Xiao Ru was stunned for a long time, then hurriedly saluted, first thanked Concubine Jing, respectfully accepted the gift, and then stuffed a purse for the princess, and waited until the person was sent away, Lou Yi and his own lady looked at each other, no one understood what Concubine Jing wanted to do, she was a harem concubine, and she gave a gift to a life woman casually...... Although it can't be said that it is privately given, after all, it is the eunuch sent by the emperor who gives the gift, but it is always not in accordance with the rules.

After thinking about it for a long time, neither of them could come up with a reason.

Xiao Ru frowned, waved her hand and said: "If you can't think of it, forget it, this is the New Year, why do we bother with this thought, maybe the concubine is really grateful to me for saving her." ”

The two husbands and wives are not people who like to worry about the sky, so they put on a smiling face again, and went out together to celebrate the New Year with everyone.

One night is two years old, and the fifth watch is divided into two days.

Xiaoru asked Menier to light the fire, and Xiaoyan took a group of cooks to put the hot and fragrant Chinese New Year's Eve meal in the garden, and their meals were fried in addition to frying. In addition to all kinds of steamed food, steamed rice cakes and desserts, there are a few, green vegetables from Xiaoru's greenhouse, tender green rape, bright tomatoes and cucumbers, plus peanut sauce, scallion pancakes rolled donkey meat and tender fish, just looking, it makes the mouth water, by the moonlight candlelight, the three of the host's family plus Ding Feng sit around a table, Meng Nier Xiaoyan Fuer and a few big girls they brought sit around a table, and the rest of the maids, the family Ding Nursing Home, are also divided into men and women, divided into households, and sit around each other.

The family was lively and lively, there were some talented people who pushed the cup of Guozhan and the wine order, and some talents, such as Jiang Yu and the like, also improvised a few poems, and even a few literate girls also read a few festive limerick poems to join in the fun, because Mrs. Lou didn't feel sleepy, Xiao Ru simply pulled her mother-in-law, took Meng Nier Xiaoyan, plus a little bean Ding Fuer, took out a box of homemade wooden checkers, and there was a big scuffle.

Lou Yi dragged Ding Feng to fight for wine, but the two of them drank two glasses according to the usual practice in previous years, and Ding Feng took a sip, even so, after drinking until midnight, Lou Yi was fine, but Ding Feng had to pour three bowls of sobering soup in a row.

Obediently, Duoduo and Xiao Pan are a few, and some people are crazy, but there is no instruction from Xiao Ru, so they come to a beautiful juggling by themselves, obediently serious, Xiao Pan's naïve and cute, and a lot of eccentric, all of which attracted applause.

When they arrived, Lou Yi and Ding Feng instructed their subordinates to take out the fireworks and firecrackers in the warehouse, and for a while, the entire night sky was dyed with bright colors by the fireworks.

Under the roar of firecrackers, Xiao Ru took Xiaoyan and Meng Nier to start dumplings, and plates of snow-white dumplings were brought out, Xiao Ru first sandwiched a few for her mother-in-law and Fu'er, and added a small bowl to Lou Yi, as a result, her mother-in-law ate three copper coins representing good luck, and Fu'er ate two red dates and one copper coin.

When Mrs. Lou put the dumplings on her plate into the bowls of her son and daughter-in-law, Lou Yi and Xiaoru also ate a copper coin each.

After eating the dumplings, Xiaoru saw that the big guys were tired of playing, so she sent her mother-in-law and Fu'er back to rest, and asked Jiang Tian to send the slightly drunk Ding Feng home, and she also followed Lou Yi back to the house to sleep.

Early in the morning of the first day of the new year, Xiao Ru got up early, dressed up, and followed Lou Yi to her mother-in-law's house to pay New Year's greetings, Mrs. Lou got up earlier, sat on the main seat, let Xiao Ru and Lou Yi kowtow, stuffed red envelopes respectively, and said with a smile: "Okay, get up quickly, hehe, Brother Xiao Lou will take your daughter-in-law to pay New Year's greetings to the old man in a while, he is your elder, you can't wait until tomorrow to go...... By the way, don't be rude if your 'famous thorn' is ready. ”

"Mother, please rest assured, it's ready." These things of 'name thorns' New Year's greetings are handled by the housekeepers, and they are the same every year, and he and Ding Feng never bother.

Mrs. Lou pulled Xiaoru to talk for a while, and when Fu'er and the others came over to greet the old lady, they let the two go out.

Lou Yigang helped Xiaoru to board the carriage and planned to go to the National Teacher's Mansion, but he didn't expect that there was a sudden sound of horses' hooves outside, and it was actually Steward Zhou from the National Teacher's Mansion who rode over in person.

Steward Zhou is the head of the National Teacher's Mansion, he is sixty-four this year, and he has long been out of business, his old man has watched Lou Yi and Ding Feng grow up, he is cautious, and he is an old man, and he is very respected in the mansion, so as soon as Lou Yi saw him, he couldn't help frowning, and said in a loud voice: "Uncle Zhou, why are you here?" ”